Daniel Ricciardo was “always ready” to step in for Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez if the need arose 

Daniel Ricciardo claims he was 'always ready' to step in for Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez if he had to in 2023. The Australian came back home to Red Bull after two unsuccessful years with McLaren in 2021 and 2022.

Ricciardo has also secured a seat with AlphaTauri for the rest of the season, following Nyck de Vries's sacking. The Dutchman was unable to meet expectations with the Scuderia team and was routinely outperformed by his younger teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, in equal machinery.

De Vries was dropped ahead of the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP, giving Ricciardo a shot at becoming a full-time driver once again.

While the eight-time GP winner was brought on as a third driver for Red Bull in 2023, he claims he was always ready to take Max Verstappen's or Sergio Perez's place if needed.

As quoted by GPBlog, Daniel Ricciardo said:

"In recent years, of course, I've been part of Red Bull Racing, apart from the little break, but I've been part of the Red Bull family for so long that I know these things can happen."

He added:

"Of course I was also ready for Max or Checo if they became unwell or ill. I was always ready and it's an unpredictable sport, so I think I always had to be ready."

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Christian Horner on Daniel Ricciardo's form after returning to Red Bull

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner claimed that the team was shocked to see Daniel Ricciardo's drop in form after he returned from McLaren at the end of 2022.

However, Horner says, the Australian has slowly shown good form once again and has impressed with his simulator work.

Ricciardo was severely outperformed by Lando Norris at McLaren, failing to impress with the Papaya team.

McLaren chose to go with Oscar Piastri in place of the Honey Badger in 2023, leaving the Australian stranded before returning home to Red Bull.

Horner claims the Honey Badger lost a bit of his form over at McLaren but has now rediscovered his mojo.

Speaking to the press in Austria, the Red Bull boss said:

"Well, when he first arrived after Abu Dhabi last year, it was a little bit of a shock because we, we didn't really recognize him from the driver that had left us a few years earlier."

Ricciardo will have to keep impressing the team, like he did at the recent tire test in Silverstone, if he wants to return to the grid next year.